In a globalized world with literally hundreds of thousands of professional freelance translators out there competing for work, you’ve got to stand out from your competition. But how can you make sure you get hired again and keep your translation agency happy?

Here are a few tips to make your translation client fall in love with your services.

Ask yourself whether you are a good candidate for the translation

Before accepting a job or potentially wasting your time applying for a job, think carefully about whether you meet the requirements. Do you have experience with the subject matter? It’s better to refrain from translating a document you have no experience in at all than to lose a client when they realize you’ve done a sloppy job. Also carefully consider whether you’re able to meet the deadline.

Answer requests ASAP

Translation agencies count on reliable and readily available translators. If you’re approached by a new client, you will definitely start off on the right foot if you get back to them quickly and professionally. It’s a good idea to make sure that regular clients are able to reach you by providing them with alternative ways of contacting you, such as your WhatsApp or Skype details.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep

Agencies like working with freelancers who are prepared to meet their expectations and follow their schedules. From time to time, you’ll be approached by clients that have specific requirements. For instance, some agencies may need a freelancer to be available five hours per week for ongoing assignments or they may need to know well in advance if you will be available for a project that’s starting in a month’s time. Don’t commit to anything you can’t accomplish. Your client will have a hard time finding another translator if you’re not actually available like you promised and will have second thoughts before hiring you again.

Check files

Prevent unexpected problems. Once you’re sent the files for a translation, open them immediately to make sure that they open properly and that they are the right files. The same is true for translation packages; check that everything is fine, including translation memories. Translators can have heavy workloads and may only realize that there’s a problem with the files when they have just a few hours left to translate them – all because they didn’t take the time to check them when they were received. Also, bear in mind that the translation agency might not be in your time zone so the sooner you report a problem the better.

Check POs

If you’re sent a PO or agreement, verify that the word count and the rate you agreed is correct. Also, make sure to check that the currency is correct. Any discrepancies should also be reported immediately.

Meet deadlines

Remember that when a client says that a translation needs to be delivered by tomorrow, 3 pm ET, you can’t deliver it tomorrow at 6 pm ET. Translation agencies have strict schedules and parallel projects to finish. Most of them have their translations reviewed by another translator and they need time to proofread files and do a quality control before delivery. If you have a problem, notify the agency well in advance of the time you’ll be delivering the translation. Give yourself extra time when you state the new deadline as it would be terrible to miss it twice.

Develop a Quality Assurance (QA)  process

Don’t send draft translations. Although translation agencies have their own QA procedures, it’s your job to provide an error-free translation. Many reviewers charge on an hourly basis and it will, therefore, be more expensive for an agency to review a translation that hasn’t been proofread by the original translator. Your QA process should include deleting double spaces, checking the format and, of course, checking the spelling. Don’t change file names, simply add the international langue code at the end. For instance: “name ES.docx.”

Be open to comments

Your job isn’t over when you deliver the translation. The agency will have your translation proofread or checked. You will usually receive the tracked changes and comments. Carefully review all the changes and make sure you reply to all comments. Don’t panic when you receive revisions – all documents will always need a few changes to be made and it doesn’t mean that you’ve done a bad job. If you disagree with a change, say so. Don’t just reply to the email with a “Received. Thank you.” Your project manager needs to know that you’ve read the proofread document and that you agree with all the changes. If you’ve made a glossary, update it for future translations.

Pay attention to invoicing

Prepare your invoice as soon as you finish the project and send it to the contact provided for payments. Some translation agencies require specific information such as the PO, date delivered, etc. Remember to include all the information and specify your preferred method of payment.

Go the extra mile

Translation agencies are sure to keep choosing freelancers who go above and beyond the call of duty. Successful freelance translators are passionate, pro-active and put 100 percent into every single project. If you show your client that you love your work and you make your own suggestions on how to make the project successful, they’ll be impressed.

If you are a translator, you may already have had a client ask you to translate a PDF document.

But what exactly is a PDF file? PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is easy to open on various devices and is a standard file used for sharing business documents. Translating with a PDF editor means you’ll likely have to do some reformatting since the translation will have a different word count (texts written in Spanish, for example, are typically 20-30 percent longer than texts written in English). There may also be graphics, images and tables with text inside them that will have to be reformatted to accommodate the new word count.

Do you need to deliver the translation with a format identical to the PDF file?

There is a chance that the client doesn’t need a file with an identical format. They might just want the translation sent to them in a Word document and have someone internal do the PDF formatting with the translated text. Do not assume that they want you to take care of the formatting just because the document they sent you is a PDF file. Ask them first and find out exactly what they need.

If the client has decided they want you to do the formatting, here is what you need to do:

Establish how the PDF was created

Is it a simple file created from a Word document or was it created with a graphic design software such as InDesign? Or is it a scanned document? If it was created with a Word document, the conversion will usually be pretty simple. To find out which application was used to create the PDF: Click (in Adobe Acrobat) File> Properties> Description. Under Application, the program used to create it will be listed (e.g. MS Word, InDesign).

Choose the best PDF translating method

Direct translation– If the PDF file is not a scanned document, it is possible to translate directly in a PDF editor (such as Adobe Acrobat) by overwriting the text. As mentioned above, the word count in the translated version will be different, which means you will need to work out some formatting issues. With a direct translation, this can be a challenge as formatting options are limited with PDF editors.

Retyping– This is basically the only option for scanned documents that are converted badly with an OCR software since you cannot edit the text using a PDF editor. For other types of docs where the text can be edited, retyping would be the most time-consuming way to translate a PDF file, potentially adding hours to your translation time.

OCR software– OCR (Optical Character Recognition) programs are not free but they are ideal for challenging formatting issues. They allow you to convert PDFs to editable documents. It should be noted that, in most cases, you will need to fix the format after converting and exporting PDFs to Word. You should learn the basics of the OCR software you use. There is a way to choose how blocks will be read by the OCR software. For example, you can choose the program to read a block as an image, table or text.

Computer-Assisted Tools– Programs such as SDL Trados allow you to extract the text from a PDF to be translated in their interface but will not help when it comes to formatting issues.

PDF readers and editor– PDF readers and editors programs allow you to copy the text to the clipboard or copy and paste text manually. The paid versions let you convert and export files. This option is not ideal for complex formatting.

How to charge for a PDF translation

If you are presented with a PDF file with a complex format, ask your client if they can provide you with the source file. If they cannot and want you to deliver a translation with an identical format, in order to calculate your price for the client, you should consider how long it will take you to reformat the file with the translated text and if you will need to use a vendor (such as a graphic designer) in order to do this successfully.

A final tip

For those who work with PDFs frequently, a PDF editor such as Adobe Acrobat Professional is recommended, however, there are also cheaper options so shop around before you purchase one.

Do you need to translate a PDF? Contact us for a quote!

Recognizing the telltale signs of a good translator is essential when recruiting a freelancer. Selecting the correct person will save you a huge amount of time and hassle in the long run, as it will avoid poor quality work and unhappy clients.

Here are some of the main points to look out for.

CV and Cover Letter

First impressions are paramount. CVs and cover letters tell you a lot about writing skills and should be well-written and faultless. If a freelance translator hasn’t taken the time to ensure this, then you simply can’t trust their skill.

As well as spelling, punctuation, grammar and structure, you should also be looking for excellent content. If the translator is replying to an advertisement, then all the required information should be covered. Have they taken the time to research your company and include relevant references to it? Above all, it needs to be original enough for you to be sure that it hasn’t been copied and pasted from stock examples online.

Social Media

Look candidates up on social media. Translators should keep their social media platforms up-to-date and professional looking. A high-quality photo is a great first impression and completed profiles should give an idea of their experience and activity.

Referring to social media should be done even before contacting a translator. A stagnant, badly created social media platform may indicate that the freelancer is not as immersed in the industry as you would like. Are they worth taking the time to contact?

Communication

Once a translator has passed the CV, cover letter and social media checks, put their communication skills to the test. When you contact them for a quote or to ask questions after receiving their CV, they must respond in a timely manner. Taking too long may mean that you have to chase them on work deadlines.

Do their replies indicate that they understand what your project is about? Do they ask the right questions, showing that they know what a translation project involves? Even better if these questions make you think of issues you didn´t anticipate.

These are the basic telltale signs of recognizing a good freelance translator to work with in your agency. Each one is a minimum requirement. If a translator fails on any of the above points, you need to keep looking.